BY YAHYA KARIM

When buying a car, most people consider a number of factors. One of the more important factors people consider, is the safety of the vehicle. In many cases people have never driven that vehicle, or even a vehicle from that specific brand. Safety has become a major concern, especially with the new era of electric vehicles. So which electric vehicle has proven themselves to be the safest on the road?

First of all, there was a study conducted by the Affinity Lawyers over a multi-year period. During this time, they calculated the number of crashes per every 10 thousand cars sold. This ranking provided a clear look into the crash trends of different EV vehicles.

At the top of this list, was the Ford Mustang Mach-E. This vehicle recorded three crashes per every 10 thousand that were sold. Despite the vehicle’s growing popularity over the past couple of years, it has still kept its crash rates extremely low. Making it a great choice for safety conscious drivers.

In second place is the Subaru XV Crosstrek, which is an extremely popular model, having sold over one million units by 2022. This model had 3.62 crashes per every 10 thousand vehicles sold. With only 40 recorded crashes from 2020 to 2022, the Subaru XV Crosstrek proves that buying a popular vehicle does not mean you have to miss out on safety.

Volkswagen’s ID.4 takes third place, recording an impressive 7.13 crashes per every 10 thousand that were sold. The ID.4 that had 28,031 vehicles sold, only recorded two crashes. This makes it a wonderful option for people looking for a safe and reliable EV.

In fourth place, we have the Nissan Leaf. The car only recorded a crash rate of 8.36. Over 150,000 units of this car have been sold, and in that period, 15 crashes happened. While it may not be the safest EV car on the market, it still maintains a strong reputation for being safe and reliable.

Taking the fifth spot is Porsche’s Taycan. 20,533 units sold, and only two crashes recorded, it has a crash rate of 9.73. The Porsche Taycan proves that luxury EV cars can still be a safe option for you and your family.

Rivian’s R1T, takes sixth spot on this list. With 9,900 units sold and one crash, it has an impressive crash rate of 10.10. The Rivian R1T has proved itself to have a promising safety record now, and in the future.

Other models that made the list include: the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which ranked seventh with a crash rate of 11.27, the Tesla Model X in eighth with a rate of 12.42, the Tesla Model Y in ninth at 12.65, and the Tesla Model 3 in tenth with a crash rate of 15.00. While still popular, these models have higher crash rates compared to the top contenders.

As EV vehicles continue to take over the automobile scene, it is important that you choose a safe and reliable vehicle.

BY AMARI SUKHDEO

When I first picked up M. NourbeSe Philip’s Zong! I had no idea how to approach it. It wasn’t like any book I had ever read. The pages didn’t flow with neat, linear sentences; instead, they were scattered with fragmented words and phrases that seemed to: float, tumble, or drown across the space of the page. At first, I felt lost, unsure of how to read, or even understand what was in front of me. As I pressed on, that feeling of confusion began to mirror something deeper—an emotional and visceral reaction to the horror that the book explored.

Zong! is based on a horrifying historical event: the massacre of over 130 enslaved Africans aboard the Zong ship in 1781, who were thrown overboard so the ship’s owners could claim insurance for “lost cargo.” The only documentation of this atrocity is a cold, detached legal text from a court case, Gregson v. Gilbert. Philip uses this legal record as the foundation for her poetry, rearranging and breaking apart its language to reconstruct the unspeakable.

As I read, I realized the fragmented structure was not just artistic, but necessary. The disjointed, scattered words mimic the chaos and destruction experienced by the people aboard the Zong. The way Philip draws out words across the page sometimes leaving long stretches of silence forces you to feel the weight of that silence. It’s overwhelming. The gaps make you pause, leaving space for the unspeakable to sink in. The repetition of certain phrases made me feel as if I couldn’t catch my breath. It was disorienting, and at times it even made me feel physically sick when I thought about the reality behind the poetry.

What struck me most was how Philip uses language, or the breakdown of it to evoke the unspeakable trauma of the transatlantic slave trade. There is no straightforward narrative here because there cannot be one. The atrocity Philip is engaging with defies simple storytelling. By breaking apart the words and scattering them like debris, she mirrors the loss of lives, cultures, and identities that slavery inflicted. This wasn’t just a book to read, but an experience to endure, one that pulls you into its chaos and refuses to let you look away.

Emotionally, Zong! left me gutted. I found myself sitting in silence after finishing a section, trying to process the sheer weight of what I had just encountered. It’s not just the content, the unimaginable cruelty of throwing people overboard but the way the form makes you feel it. The confusion, the suffocation, the overwhelming nature of the text—it’s as if the book forces you to inhabit even a fraction of what those aboard the Zong might have felt.

Zong! isn’t an easy book to read, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s a book that confronts you with history in a way that no straightforward narrative ever could. By refusing to conform to traditional forms, Philip gives voice to the voiceless and makes space for mourning, reflection, and acknowledgment.

BY GLORIA O’KOYE

A rejuvenating, sweet, innocent newborn scent that can melt the coldest of hearts.

A salve that soothes the itchiness left by worldly scars.

First of everything,

From smiles to sounds can bring peace

Piercing heavy clouds.

The purity of a child brings wisdom that can humble

The wisest of teachers from afar.

In the first few weeks of life,

Skin-to-skin between parents and child,

It can strengthen lifelong bonds.

It promotes life through connections,

Never underestimate true parental love.

The love of a child can save lives,

Can uplift even when dangling by a thread

Above the turbulent winds

And treacherous seas of fear and doubt.

The love of a parent

Can break the lineage of trauma and hurt,

Uproot tainted family trees

In ways that insanity has no way in,

Only culture and traditions can come to full fruition

As they fully sprout.

Sweet child,

Don’t ever say that you are never enough.

You came just in time

When the glimmer of hope wants to dim out.

A love of a child

The mind of a child,

Is what the world constantly lacks.

Only a childlike faith can enter the gates of heaven,

Surpassing forefathers who grew cold from a dying world

Lies and deceit,

A child will heal those wounds and breathe in life.

That power

Sweet child,

No one can ever take it away,

It is highly favored from beyond human comprehension,

Continue to be you

Sweet child.